noun

1. A necessary commodity, a staple requirement.

   “Rice is a basic for many Asian villagers.”

2. An elementary building block, e.g. a fundamental piece of knowledge.

   “Arithmetic is a basic for the study of mathematics.”

3. Basic training.

   “The drill sergeants gave him hell in basic.”

adjective

1. Necessary, essential for life or some process.

   “Flour is a basic ingredient of bread.”

2. Elementary, simple, fundamental, merely functional.

   “The Hotel Sparta’s accommodation is very basic.”

3. Of or pertaining to a base; having a pH greater than 7.

Synonyms: alkaline